The prior art teaches modular elements which can be mated together to provide three-dimensional graphic display boards for displaying information relating to planning, scheduling, and the like. A substantially planar base member has a repetitive male pattern on one surface thereof, which male pattern may comprise a plurality of raised, equi-distant, equi-dimensioned blocks. Display elements are provided, each of which has a repetitive female pattern on a planar surface thereof complementary to the repetitive male pattern of the base member. The display elements may be formed in rectangular, triangular, circular or other shapes. A desired graphic display is then formed by a user pressing selected display elements on the base member whereupon the display elements are retained in position by frictional engagement between their female patterns and the male pattern of the base member.
Yet another application of such modular elements in the prior art is in the construction of toys and three-dimensional models. In such cases, the modular elements are typically non-planar and shaped in the form of conventional bricks, cement blocks, or the like. In addition, these modular elements have, on a second surface, a repetitive male pattern of raised blocks cylinders or the like to allow stacking. Accordingly, a toy or scale model structure can be constructed by utilizing a plurality of the modular elements.
Due to the intricate nature of the male and female patterns of the prior art modular elements, each element is typically molded from a plastic material by an injection molding process. As a result, the prior art modular elements are quite expensive, particularly in applications where a large number of such elements are required.
It is also known in the prior art to form such modular elements from a plastic material by the use of relatively inexpensive extrusion molding process, in which case the resultant modular elements include a plurality of longitudinally-extending ribs which are equi-distantly spaced from each other in a transverse direction to define a corresponding plurality of grooves. Mating of the elements is then accomplished by respective frictional engagement of the ribs and grooves in first and second elements when brought into mating, face-to-face contact. Although inexpensive, this type of modular element is disadvantageous in only permitting a single face-to-face orientation of the mating elements as contrasted with the injection molded elements which can be assembled with many orientations.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide matable, modular elements which can be manufactured by relatively inexpensive extrusion molding processes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such matable, modular elements which permit such elements in assembly to have a plurality of orientations with respect to each other when mated in face-to-face contact.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide such matable, modular elements which allow mating of such elements with a disconnectable fit, or with a semipermanent locking fit, or with a permanent locking fit.
It is another object of this invention to provide such matable, modular elements in a plurality of forms, such as base elements, intermediate elements, interconnecting elements, and the like, all of which can be produced by extrusion molding and all of which are particularly useful in toy and model applications.